[HELP] My snails are mating

[snailkeeper21]

My snails are mating, and i need some help to know what i should do next.

My snails are land snails. Currently, i have 6 snails in the terrarium. There is water, food and moist soil. After the two snails, that are mating, are done, should i leave them in the same terrarium, or should i move them to another terrarium? Is there chance for the other snails to eat the eggs? Will the snail keep the eggs inside its body, until the last moment before the hatch, or will the snail put the eggs inside the soil, or on the surface of the bottom of the terrarium?

If the soil is too moist, can the eggs rot?

During the mating process, the (soft) bodies of the snails were connected to each other, and their heads were very close to each other, and there was something white between the two heads. Was the white thing the eggs? They disappeared, did the eggs got swallowed? If yes, for how long will the eggs remain inside the snail? How long will it take until the snail releases the eggs from its body to the soil? After the mating process is done, where will be the eggs, and how long will it take until the snails put the eggs in the soil? Will the snail put the eggs in the soil immediately after the mating process, or will the eggs remain in the snail's body for a while? 

After the two mating snails are done, i will move them in terrarium with smaller holes, so the babies can't escape when they hatch. This is what i should do, right? How big will be the eggs? How big will b the baby snails when they hatch?

If you think there are more things i need to know, feel free to share them with me.

These are my questions for now.

Thanks.

[pasi9]

Hi My answers are based on the snails I have and will probably apply to most land snails, but there might be some species that are different. What kind do you have?

May 5, 2021 21:18:13 GMT snailkeeper21 said:

"After the two snails, that are mating, are done, should i leave them in the same terrarium, or should i move them to another terrarium?"

You don't have to move the snails.

"Is there chance for the other snails to eat the eggs?"

My snails have never done this, but I can't say for sure. If you've unsure, you can carefully move the eggs into a seperate container(assuming you want to hatch them).

"Will the snail keep the eggs inside its body, until the last moment before the hatch, or will the snail put the eggs inside the soil, or on the surface of the bottom of the terrarium?"

Snails generally lay their eggs when they feel the environment is suitable. This could be just before the eggs hatch, or weeks before. It's up to the snails.

They usually bury the eggs in the soil.

"If the soil is too moist, can the eggs rot?"

Probably not. If the soil is too moist for the eggs to survive, the snail probably won't lay the eggs to begin with.

"During the mating process, the (soft) bodies of the snails were connected to each other, and their heads were very close to each other, and there was something white between the two heads. Was the white thing the eggs? They disappeared, did the eggs got swallowed?"

No, that's the snails genitalia. It disappeared because the snails retracted it back into their bodies after mating.

"If yes, for how long will the eggs remain inside the snail? How long will it take until the snail releases the eggs from its body to the soil? After the mating process is done, where will be the eggs, and how long will it take until the snails put the eggs in the soil? Will the snail put the eggs in the soil immediately after the mating process, or will the eggs remain in the snail's body for a while?"

There is no right answer to this. Snails can hold onto the eggs(or semen) for a long time, if they choose. They won't lay them unless the feel the conditions are suitable. They may even decide not to lay eggs at all, and absorb the semen/eggs back into their bodies.

"After the two mating snails are done, i will move them in terrarium with smaller holes, so the babies can't escape when they hatch. This is what i should do, right? How big will be the eggs? How big will b the baby snails when they hatch?"

Sure, that seems like a decent idea. Personally I just move the eggs into a separate container once they've been laid, but I don't see why you can't move the adults before the eggs are laid.

The size of eggs/babies will depend on the species of snail.

[snailkeeper21]

May 5, 2021 22:15:06 GMT pasi9 said:

"Will the snail keep the eggs inside its body, until the last moment before the hatch, or will the snail put the eggs inside the soil, or on the surface of the bottom of the terrarium?"

Snails generally lay their eggs when they feel the environment is suitable. This could be just before the eggs hatch, or weeks before. It's up to the snails.

They usually bury the eggs in the soil.

"If yes, for how long will the eggs remain inside the snail? How long will it take until the snail releases the eggs from its body to the soil? After the mating process is done, where will be the eggs, and how long will it take until the snails put the eggs in the soil? Will the snail put the eggs in the soil immediately after the mating process, or will the eggs remain in the snail's body for a while?"

There is no right answer to this. Snails can hold onto the eggs(or semen) for a long time, if they choose. They won't lay them unless the feel the conditions are suitable. They may even decide not to lay eggs at all, and absorb the semen/eggs back into their bodies.

"After the two mating snails are done, i will move them in terrarium with smaller holes, so the babies can't escape when they hatch. This is what i should do, right? How big will be the eggs? How big will b the baby snails when they hatch?"

Sure, that seems like a decent idea. Personally I just move the eggs into a separate container once they've been laid, but I don't see why you can't move the adults before the eggs are laid.

The size of eggs/babies will depend on the species of snail.

Hi, thanks for the answer.

I have two more questions.

1. You said that snails lay their eggs when they feel the environment is suitable. So, would you explain me what are the perfect conditions i have to introduce in the terrarium, so snails can lay eggs. They already have constant supply of water, food and the soil is constantly moist. Is this enough, or do i have to introduce something else?

2. You said that "They may even decide not to lay eggs at all, and absorb the semen/eggs back into their bodies.". Does that mean they will destroy the eggs, so it wont be possible for the baby snails to be born? What should i do to prevent this from happening? What conditions can influence the snail's decision whether to destroy the eggs or not?

You said: "The size of eggs/babies will depend on the species of snail."

Answer: My snails are garden snails.

[pasi9]

1. It sounds like the environment is ok. Just make sure they have a good variety of food. The soil should be moist but not too moist, if you squeeze a handful of soil you should only have a couple of drops of water come out. Do they also have access to a calcium source?

2. Yes, if they don't feel the conditions are suitable than they'd rather not go through the effort of laying eggs, so there won't be babies.
Not all matings will result in eggs. Just try to keep the conditions suitable and be patient, it'll happen when the snails are ready! Mine didn't reproduce for months, and then suddenly I was finding eggs every week.


Ah, cornu aspersum? Then the eggs should be a few millimetres across. They usually lay them in clumps of between 50-100. The babies are about the same size as the egg at first, but they grow bigger quite quickly.

[snaileyhammy]

I agree with what pasi9 has said.